It's true. The wait to move to the front of the line was a fact of life.

People were backed up across the parking lot and out into the street.

People waiting to be served . . . But with all the casual conversation and smiles we saw, we don't think anyone really thought of it as a "wait". It was more of a social event with breakfast as the encore.

Those who had worked their way to the front of the line, though, seemed to be getting a little anxious . . . The heavenly mix of fumes coming off all those grills was almost more than they could bear.

Thanks to the wisdom of the organizers, however, the strategically placed safety displays and many draws distracted all but the young. Then young will never be distracted from food.

The reward of patience . . . Plates! No food. Not yet. But with plates, surely the food can't be that far away. Here, though, pulses increase, stomachs begin to growl, time begins to slow, and only the very polite don't drool.

Yes, it took a lot of cooks and other behind the scenes volunteers—almost 30 of them in all—and all with a single goal . . . to raise money for the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund. An organization dedicated to burn prevention, burn survivor support, and burn recovery programs in B.C.

A lot of cooks to feed a lot of guests . . . Over 1,000 at last count.

But cooks and guests working together are responsible for a $3,366.08 cheque that is now on its way to the Burn Fund.

Our congratulations to all the feeders and feedees for a job well done . . . This year's effort beat last year's effort by $533.

And as you can see in this photo, everyone received a just reward for their contribution. A hot meal. Even the cooks got to eat . . . About an hour after the line-up was supposed to end. Click here for more high quality Pancake Breakfast photos taken by Loell Holmquist.

A lot of kids thought the Terrace Water Rescue boat was great little toy. There should be one in every playground. If someone's in trouble, though, this great little toy could save a life.

Fire truck rides . . . For some kids, this was even better than the food.

But what do kids know?

The tour guide was Terrace firefighter Ron Fleming. Thornhill firefighters donated the truck and driver.

Need a nap after a long busy wait and a real great meal? It seems that at least one of these guys did; in an ambulance that was on display.

The Thornhill Junior Secondary Stage Band, under the direction of Michael Wen, provided entertainment for the hungry crowd and slaving cooks at the Terrace Fire Hall.

The band played two 45-minute sets, and the music was enjoyed by everyone.

And the band seemed to be having a great time too . . . Even though musicians had to periodically grab sheets of music out of the air when they were snatched up by the invisible hand of a cool gust of wind.

David (left) and Stephen (right) weren't alone in the love of blowing their own horns. It was all for a great cause. The entire band is an avid supporter of the Dare to Dream Foundation, and this event, as have been others before, was a fundraiser for Dare to Dream.

The Dare to Dream Foundation was organized in 1998 when the grade six and seven band program fell to budget considerations. Money raised is helping to re-establish the grade seven program, more is needed to get the grade six program back on track. If you hear music, and see the Dare to Dream banner on display, please give. Fundraising is an ongoing affair, and the Foundation is a registered society if you would like a receipt.

And a closing note: The band was more than a little greatful for the tent available at this event. It was windy and cool and a little bit damp at times, but there were no complaints. The day's event was enough that no one really seemed to notice.

The July 1, 2002, Picnic in the Park was held in Heritage Park. Heritage Park Museum, located in Terrace, is a collection of original log buildings depicting the history of pioneers of the region.

Each building has been chosen to represent a different aspect of pioneer life, as well as a different style of log construction.

These structures also house interesting collections of artifacts and histories relevant to the original use of each building.

The park is managed by the Terrace Community Facilities Society, and provides guided tours throughout the summer and is the focus of many fun-filled community events.

The park is open May through August from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult admission is $3, students and seniors $2, and the family rate is $7. Group rates and rental information is available at (250) 635-4546 or (250) 615-3022. Or you can fax your querie or request to (250) 615-3010.

On Canada Day, though, from noon to 5 p.m. admission was free and a lot of people took advantage of it. Entertainment included Rene Lucier's Blue Grass Band (pictured here), Scottish dancers, and a children's recorder group led by Anne Townsend.

Busy indeed! Around 400 people enjoyed the afternoon in the park.

Museum staff filled and handed out the balloons . . . Almost without pause.

Fastening a helium filled balloon to a sleeve or wrist can save tears of disappointment, and there were no reports of any tiny people floating away.

Stilts. It's not all that long ago, before TV and movies, and perhaps even cars, that stilts provided prime time entertainment and a challenge for young and old at events such as this one.

Supervised by museum staff, there were a few trips and falls, but no nasty spills by the few who failed to meet the challenge of staying upright.

It was really quite surprising how many people actually mastered the stilts.

Martin de Hoog offered this demonstration hive. It attracted a lot of attention, and prompted many questions.

It was very interesting, to say the least. And many couldn't seem to resist getting close and personal with Mother Nature's little honey factory.

Here again, it was museum staff who painted dozens, if not hundreds, of tiny faces.

This is a priceless photo of a moment we all knew couldn't last. But it's proof at least that sibling rivalry doesn't rule . . . At least not every precious minute of the day.

There were two cars on display for this special occasion.

A 1929 Model 'A' Ford sedan owned by Don Hull.

A 1929 Ford Roadster pickup owned by Daryl Gurnsey.

On this special occasion, Classic Hot Dogs filled the bill.

Heritage Park Museum staff appreciated all the help they had:

• Trapper Otto Lindstrom who manned the Trapper's Cabin offering more than a tale or two of the wild, and Martin de Hoog for his entertaining bees.
• North Pacific Historical Fishing Village in Port Edward who offered four silent films in the old Dance Hall — two Charlie Chaplin, and two Laurel and Hardy.
• The Bargain Shop who donated all the prizes for the Kid's Games held throughout the day.
• And the Cookie Jar Bakery for a Canada Day cake large enough to feed everyone.